NBA Names Chris Paul of New Orleans Hornets 'Rookie of the Year'

Paul received a total of 623 points and The Toronto Raptors' Charlie Villanueva finished second with 248 points.

The National Basketball Association has named Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets the league's 2005-2006 Rookie of the Year.

Paul received a total of 623 points in voting announced Wednesday, after receiving 124 out of a possible 125 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Players are awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote received.

The Toronto Raptors' Charlie Villanueva finished second with 248 points while Australian Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks was a distant third with 98 points.

Paul was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. He averaged rookie highs of 16.1 points, 7.8 assists, 2.24 steals per game and he posted 21 double-doubles to lead the Hornets to an NBA-best 20-win improvement over last season.